Wear compensating device



Jan. 16, 1940. E, J. STORY 2,187,636

lWEAR COMPENSATING DEVICE Filed May 16, 1938 *l :NVENTOR 5 B QM/wlfoeyla El?. QQ/wd.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 16, 1940 PATENT OFFICE WEAR COMPENSATING DEVICEElmerJ. Story, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Cleveland TractorCompany, Cleveland,

Ohio

Application May 1s, 4193s, serial No. 208,308

8 Claims.

pensating unit for automatically taking up the lost motion in a linkage,which lost motion may be due to wear in the linkage connections or in 5the members which they operate.

V A practical embodiment, which is disclosed herein, includes a manuallyoperable clutch pedal or lever for a vehicle transmission and a brake,operated simultaneously with movement of the clutch pedal, to controlrotation of the transmission gear trains.

It is a principal object of the invention to interpose suitable meansbetween the clutch pedal and transmission brake automatically tocompensate for wear incident to use.

More specifically, an inventive object is the provision of aself-tightening screw-threaded joint on a rod for operating the brake.

With the above and other objects and features `g1) in view, theinvention will now be described with respect tothe'accornpanying drawingand pointed out in the claims. L In, the drawing, Fia 1 is a fragmentarySide elevation, partly in section, of an automotive transmission,showing the relationfof the invenvtion thereto;

' Fig. 2 is a detailed longitudinal section of the wear compensatingdevice; A, Fig. 3l is a side elevation, partly in section, of rr3,0an"element` of the wear compensating device;

Fig. 4 shows a transverse section of the device, looking in thedirection of the arrows on section line 4``4` of Fig. 2;

Fig.` 5 is a longitudinal section of the brake g5' mechanism shown inFig. 1, taken on the secytion line 5-5 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 6 represents a transverse section of the brake mechanism, at line6-6 of Fig. 1.

' In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, II)indicates the forward portion of Aa transmission housing which carriesat its top a clutch pedal or lever arm Il pivoted on a boss I2 fixedinside the housingfor operating mechanism which Will be described.Another 5 lever arm I3, rotating with the clutch pedal II vhas a rod I4pivotally connected to its free end by means of a lug I5; A sleeved lugI6 is in adl instable threaded engagement with the other end 'o'f rod14; and pivotally connects it to the end s lof aV crank or lever I1Vwhich rotates a crank- Lshaft ls.

lRotation of the crankshaft I8 will produce oscillation of a sleeve-likearm I9 which in sliding engagement with a link or rod 20 having' 55. ayoke 2l` on its `lower ,end for (tothe (Cl. 19218l The present inventionrelates toa wear comright) the sleeve 22 of a conventional clutchindicated generally as 23 and having abutting relation with a projectingportion 22 of the sleeve.

The clutch 23 is movable into and out of frictional driving engagementwith a flywheel 24 on 5 the end of an engine crankshaft 25. A clutchshaft 26 carries the clutch sleeve 22 at one end and a clutch shaftcoupling spider 21 on the other end. At the rear or left hand end of thetransmission housing Il] as seen in Fig. l, a l0 driven or ktransmissionshaft 28 is supported in a self-aligning bearing 29. Secured and keyedto the end of shaft 28 is a transmission shaft `coupling spider 30which'is coupled to the clutch shaft spider 21 in the manner shown byFigs. 1,5 1 and 5.

In 5 is shown a ring-shaped member 3i, xed to the housing I0 andencircling part of the transmission shaft spider 3U, the purpose ofrwhich Vis to mount a pivot pin 32 transversely of go the variousshafts.

A yoke 33 (Fig. 6) is pivotally supported by pin 32 which passes throughits sides and a pair of inwardly extendinglugs 34, 35 integral with saidyoke. From the center of yoke 33, a pair of 25 parallel lugs 36 and 31extend upwardly for a purpose which will be described subsequently.Cotter pins 38 and 39 pass through the ends of pivot pin 32 and serve toretain the yoke 33 in place- 30 ABy means of a pair of couaxial, opposedpivot pins 40 and 4I, a transmission brake plate 42 of inverted U-shapeis connected to the yoke 33 Vthrough a pair of apertured lugs 43, 44integral with the plate 42,*one on each leg of the U. The 35 pivot pins40 and 4I are secured in the lugs 43` and 44, respectively; cott'er pins45 and 46 are 'used rto hold the yoke 33 on the projecting ends yof saidpivot pins (Fig. 6).

A boss of 41 of inverted U-shape and semi- 40 circular at the middlereinforces a circular notch 48" in' the clutch brake plate 42. The notch4a 'encircles a part of the spider 30.

A brake lining 4S of corresponding outline is secured to the face ofbrake' plate 42 in the manner illustrated by 45 passes through themparallel to the other yoke pins 3,2,` 40, 4I. The pin 5I is drilledtransverselymidway of its length slidably to receive a clutch brake rod52, having a nut 53 threaded on its end to retain it in said pin (Fig.5).

At the other end, the brake rod 52 is pivotally joined to the upper endof link 20 by a pivot pin 54 and a wear compensating device designatedgenerally as 55.

The end of the brake rod 52 which engages the wear compensating device55 isprovided with a buttress threaded portion 56 (Fig. 2). A collet 51which has a frusto-conical head 58 and ini ternal buttress threads 59extending partially Vof a tension spring 15.

into an integral sleeve portion 60, as shown in Fig. 3, receives the endof rod 52. Fig. 2 indicates the complemental nature of the rod threads56 and collet threads '59,V

Four slits 6l extend longitudinally of the collet 51 from the top of thehead 58 nearlyrtothe end of sleeve '60; they are arranged to divide thecollet 5l into quadrants. To prevent splitting of the sleeve S0, eachslit terminates in a circular hole 62. Any number of similar slits whichlwill provide an operative split nut-` construction may be utilized.

The collet head 58 is enclosed by a housing 63 having a yoke 64 at onevend with drilled holes 65 to receive the pin 54 whiclrifcon'nectstherod 52 and wearicompensating device 55 to the rod 20 operated by theclutch pedal I.I. A conically bored portion or socket 61 of t'he housing63 receives the collect head 58; the portion 61 is complemental to thehead 58 which has a sliding fit therein.

l At the end remote from yoke 64 the housing 63 terminates in a secondcylindrically bored portion 68 forming an extension of the socket part61.` A circular groove '69 in thehcylindrical portion 68 is intended tohold in place a vcontractable retaining ring 16 in the form of a splitwasher. To facilitate removal of the retaining ring 10, a longitudinalslot 1I `of appreciable width is cut in the bottom of the second`cylindrical portion 68, Aas 'seen in Fig. 4; it extends inward to thegroove 69.

When the head 58 of the collet 51 is in threaded engagement with the endof brake'vrod 52 (Fig.

2) there is a predetermined space 12 between the base of said head andthe ring 10 by whichl it `position with respect to the'conically boredportion 61 which ordinarily serves to clamp it to the rod.

It will be necessary to refer to several additional parts in order tomake the automatic operation of this invention clear. Ay collar 13 issecured near the brake end of the rod 52; it is provided with a hook14which secures one end The other end `of the spring 15 engages a hookedmember 1'6 which depends within the forward end of the transmissionhousing IU. A compression spring 11 encircles rod 52 between the collar13 and the pivot pin 5I which engages the brake yoke 33.

, Cotter pins 18 and 19 may be provided at the creasing resistance.

to release the transmission brake as soon' as the threaded to the rod,52.

clutch 23 commences to move into engagement with the flywheel 24.

As initially adjusted, the collet head 58 will be in firm engagementwith its socket, the conically bored portion 61; and wedged thereby soas to clamp the buttress threads 56 of the brake rod 52. Ordinary wearof the frictional driving members (not shown) of clutch 23 will. requirethat the clutch sleeve 22 bepermitted to -`shift to the left along theshaft 26 of Fig. l in order that said clutch may be engaged with thesame pressure as before the wear occurred.

The tension spring 15 is constructed and arranged so as to pull the rod52 to the right in Fig. l until` the nut 53 is` stopped by the pivot pin5I (Fig. 5). lAfterthis point is reached, further movement of the rod 26clockwise, in response to the leftward shifting of the clutch sleeve 22as previously explained, will cause the collet housing 63 to move awayfrom the collet 51 which is However, it rwill be remembered that thislatter relative movement is limited'by the retaining ring 10 to thespace 12. When sufficient wear hasl taken vplace in the clutch, thebuttress threads 56 of rod 52 will be released by the collet head 58yand be free to slide therepast, as the collet housing 63 continues itspreviously described movement. The effective length of the brake rod 52will thus be increased until the collet 61 is pushed back into tightengagement with its socket 51 and into clamping engagement with aportion of the unescaped threads (56). No further extension will thentake place, and theinterengaged buttres's threads can again transmitpower in one direction, namely to the left or in a brake-applyingdirection.

Finally, it is noted that the spring action which is inherent in theconstruction of rvclutch 23 will, through the rod 20, insure relativemotion of the collet housing 61 and rod 52 when the transmission brakeis` in released position and when appreciable wear has increased theclearance between the'frictionalv members of the clutch.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent ofthe United Statesis: l

1. The combination comprising a rotating brake lining element, a fixedlbrake lining element opposed to the rotating one, a clutchforcontrolling movement 'of the rotating brake lining element, andmechanism including .a 'brake rod and an operating lever for moving thebrake elements into ,and out of operative engagement and for disengagingthe clutch as the brakel elements are rod forV increasing automaticallyits effective lengthrin response to clutch wear. f 'Y 2. A wearcompensating device, comprising a vtubular housing, a splitcollet'fitting'in one end vof the housing, and a split, removable ringfor yretaining the collet in the housing, said collet `being threadedinternallyto engage a similarly-i threaded end of a brake rod. i

3. Awear compensating unit which comprises an operating rod threaded onone end, a. split collet in threaded engagement `with said rod, a

tubular housing having a socket at one end for! receiving the collet andmeans at the other end for connecting it to a lever or rod, andcontractable meansfor retaining the collet Within the .housing 4. Awear' compensating unit comprising, in,

combination, a rod having buttress threads at one end; a split colletinternally threaded to receive the buttress threads of the rod, saidcolletJ having a sleeve portion and an enlarged frustoconical head whichcontains threads throughout its length; a tubular housing for receivingthe collet and any portion of the threaded end of the rod which extendsbeyond the collet head, said housing having means at one end forconnecting it to a pin and a conical socket adjacent its other endcomplemental to the head of the collet; and a split, removable ringwhich encircles the sleeve portion of the collet and engages the housingwithin its conical end to retain the head of the collet therein.

5. A wear compensating device which includes: a split collet havinginternal threads and a frusto-conical head, a housing member having aconical socket portion at one end which is complemental to and receivesthe frusto-conical head of the collet, and a split, removable retainingring engaging the socket near its outer end at a distance from thecollet head when the latter is at its limit of inward movement, so as topermit relative movement between the housing member and collet.

6. A Wear compensating device comprising a split collet, a housingmember having a socket portion at one end which is eomplemental to andreceives an end ofthe collet, and a split retaining ring, said socketportion having an internal groove near its entrance for holding the ringin position and a longitudinal slot extending inwardly from saidentrance to said groove to facilitate removal of said ring.

7. In combination, a reciprocable clutch, a clutch shaft secured to aportion of said clutch for rotation therewith, a brake for controllingrotation of the clutch shaft, operating means for the clutch and shaftincluding a rod connected to the clutch and brake, and a lever forsimultaneously reciprocating the clutch and moving the rod, and a wearcompensating device associated with the rod for automatically varyingthe length of the rod in response to wear of the clutch, whereby theclutch may be engaged with substantially the same pressure as beforewear occurred.

8. In an automatic wear compensating unit, the combination comprising arod provided at one end with buttress threads and movablelongitudinally; means including a conical-socketed member and a splitcollet for receiving the threaded end of the rod, the socketed memberand the collet being complementally shaped and normally in engagement,and the collet being threaded to retain the buttress threads of the rod;and a contractable, removable means for retaining the collet in thesocketed member, said removable means being suiciently spaced from theportion of the collet which it is adapted to abut that the socketedmember and the collet may move relatively to release the latter from thethreaded portion of the rod, and thus Vary the effective length of saidrod by permitting the rod and collet to move relatively and then intoclamping engagement with each other at a diilerent location.

EL'NDSR J. STORY.

